Incubator plate for use in microscopy system

Abstract

Disclosed is an incubator plate configured for use in microscopy systems that has at least one housing for a sample vessel and a heating element passageway formed therein.

1 . A microscopy imaging system, the system comprising
 a microscope configured for magnification of a specimen,   a sample vessel constructed from transparent material configured to hold the specimen, and   a microscopy incubator module configured to support the sample vessel and to maintain the sample vessel at an elevated temperature during magnification by the microscope, wherein the incubator module includes an incubator plate having a sample housing onto which the sample vessel is mounted and a heating element passageway formed in the incubator plate that is configured to hold heated media used to elevate the temperature of the sample vessel during magnification by the microscope.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the incubator plate includes an inlet port and an outlet port interconnected by the heating element passageway. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the incubator plate is provided by a one-piece monolithic component. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the incubator plate comprises polymeric materials configured to withstand temperatures greater than about 70 degrees C. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the microscopy incubator module includes a temperature unit configured to heat a media in the heating element passageway. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the temperature unit includes a reservoir configured to hold the media and fluidly coupled to the heating element passageway, a heater configured to heat the media, and a pump configured to circulate the media from the reservoir through the heating element passageway. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the incubator plate includes a third port in fluid communication with the heating element passageway, and the third port is normally closed off but is configured to open in response to a pressure in the heating element passageway exceeding a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the temperature unit includes a temperature sensor and a controller, and the controller is configured to adjust operation of at least one of the heater and the pump based on information from the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the temperature unit includes a resistive heating element that extends into the heating element passageway configured to heat up in response to application of electrical current along the resistive wire. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the heating element passageway is populated with thermal metallic beads adapted to be heated by the resistive heating element. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the temperature unit includes a temperature sensor and a controller, and the controller is configured to apply current to the resistive heating element based on information from the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sample housing is formed by an upper opening and a lower opening in the incubator plate that cooperate to provide an aperture through the entire incubator plate into which a light source included in the microscope can shine directly onto the sample vessel, and wherein the upper opening is larger than the lower opening such that a bottom surface of the upper opening is created to support the sample vessel when mounted in the incubator plate. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the upper opening is round with a first diameter, the lower opening is round with a second diameter, and the first diameter is larger than the second diameter. 
     
     
         14 . A microscopy incubator module configured to support a sample vessel during viewing by a microscope and to maintain the sample vessel at non-ambient temperature during magnification by the microscope, the microscopy incubator module comprising
 an incubator plate formed as a one-piece monolithic component,   wherein the incubator plate is shaped to include a sample housing configured to receive the sample vessel and a heating element passageway that is configured to hold heated media used to elevate the temperature of the sample vessel during magnification by the microscope.   
     
     
         15 . The microscopy incubator module of  claim 14 , wherein the sample housing is formed by an upper opening and a lower opening that cooperate to provide an aperture opening across the entire incubator plate through which the sample vessel may be illuminated by a light source included in the microscope. 
     
     
         16 . The microscopy incubator module of  claim 15 , and wherein the upper opening is larger than the lower opening such that an intermediate surface is created to support the sample vessel when mounted in the incubator plate. 
     
     
         17 . The microscopy incubator module of  claim 16 , wherein the upper opening is round with a first diameter, the lower opening is round with a second diameter, and the first diameter is larger than the second diameter such that a bottom surface of the upper opening provides the intermediate surface configured to support the sample vessel when mounted in the incubator plate. 
     
     
         18 . The microscopy incubator module of  claim 14 , wherein the incubator plate includes an inlet port and an outlet port that each extend outwardly from a planar portion of the incubator plate, and wherein the inlet port and the outlet port are interconnected by the heating element passageway. 
     
     
         19 . The microscopy incubator module of  claim 18 , wherein the incubator plate includes a third port in fluid communication with the heating element passageway, and the third port is normally closed off but is configured to open in response to a pressure in the heating element passageway exceeding a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The microscopy incubator module of  claim 14 , wherein the heating element passageway is populated with thermal metallic beads adapted to be heated by an electrically resistive heating element.